Publication Type:
Conference ProceedingsSource:
International Snow Science Workshop, Squaw Valley, California, p.424-430 (2010)Keywords:
stability tests; sampling strategy; avalanche formation; snow cover stability; avalanche education; stability evaluation; field observationsAbstract:
Information about the snow cover stability is crucial for avalanche
forecasting and for winter backcountry recreation. For a reliable estimation of
snow cover stability at all levels of stability and over terrain many stability
tests would be required. These tests are time consuming and therefore not
practical for backcountry recreationists. Sampling strategy becomes important
if spatial variability is considered as a key component of avalanche release. A
recently proposed sampling strategy for slope stability estimation allows one
to estimate the slope stability with a maximum of four compression tests.
However, since backcountry recreationists as well as avalanche professionals
during recreation rarely perform stability tests, we wade into this important
and controversial question: to dig or not to dig? We review and discuss
sampling strategies and methods from the perspective of experienced and less
experienced recreationists. Factors were identified which increase or decrease
the value of snow cover observations – which require digging – for
recreationists in order to estimate the snow cover stability. These factors
include experience level, local observations – which do not require digging – from
previous days and the current day, ability to interpret observations over
terrain and across spatial scales as well as cumulative knowledge of the
snowpack. In conclusion, the question is not "To dig or not to dig?",
but "When to dig?" – the latter question we try to answer.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| WhenToDig_ISSW2010_Bellaire.pdf | 766.37 KB |